philanthropist

American  

[fi-lan-thruh-pist] / fɪˈlæn θrə pɪst /

noun

• philanthropists
  plural

1. a person, typically a wealthy one, who has an altruistic concern for human welfare and shows it by donating money, property, time, or work to aid people in need or to support institutions that serve the public.

   In his private life he was a major philanthropist who spent over $2 billion on causes ranging from education to healthcare.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• philanthropistic
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• philanthropists
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of philanthropist

First recorded in 1720–30; philanthrop(y) + -ist

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Explanation

A philanthropist is a person who gives money or gifts to charities, or helps needy people in other ways. Famous examples include Andrew Carnegie and Bill & Melinda Gates. In English, the -ist suffix describes a person who does a particular action. A philanthropist practices philanthropy. Philanthropists are wealthy people with a generous nature and a concern for human welfare. Philanthropy is from Late Latin philanthrōpia, from Greek, from philanthrōpos "humane, kind," from the prefix phil- plus anthrōpos "man, mankind."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

philanthropist philanthropists

“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of beloved actor, philanthropist, and passionate disability rights advocate RJ Mitte,” Mitte’s representatives said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026

"He was criticised by many on social media and our goal was to bolster his reputation as a philanthropist," he said.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

Amy was a philanthropist and renowned gardener who had bonded with her father over the art of picking produce; Diane worked in the office doing residential leasing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026

And who were they to believe: Bill Cosby, TV icon, philanthropist and national father figure, or a lowly office worker at his alma mater?

From Salon ● Apr. 27, 2018

Remembering, her old customers picture her as philanthropist, medical authority, bouncer, and poetess of the bodily emotions without being involved with them.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck

A splashy donation to a big-name school, like Griffin’s, can also be a good way for philanthropists to generate headlines and help secure their legacy.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026

Even if philanthropists and higher-ed leaders were to walk away from this work, the demand would still be there.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

The Microsoft founder and one of the world’s biggest philanthropists warns that artificial intelligence could be either a “great equalizer” or a force that widens the world’s inequality gap.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

Parton was awarded the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy in 2022, which honoured her as "one of the entertainment world's most generous philanthropists".

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

Lawrence had spent a difficult year cadging money from philanthropists and foundations for a proton accelerator, the purpose of which had to be explained to them in the abstract terms of basic science.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

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Related Words

• benefactor
• contributor
• donor
• patron

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